Father
by DemonRider404
Summary: Melody is Maka and Soul's only daughter. When Soul comes home eight years after supposedly walking out, Melody overhears him arguing with Maka, and decides to find out the truth about where her father went all those years ago...and to bring him back home for good. But looking for him could put her and her mother in mortal danger.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. Melody is my character, though. I made her myself.**

**This story is based off of "Taking Over Me" by Evanescence. I take no credit or anything for the song.**

**A/N: Alright. Still no flash drive, which means still no updates on my original stories. But, I found this old thing in my Google Drive and thought you guys might like it! I hope you do, and I hope you can forgive me for my clumsiness!**

Father

**Chapter 1:**

_You don't remember me, but I...remember you...I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you..._

I woke around three in the morning to hear my mother in the kitchen. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and listened, just to make sure she was up late cleaning or something and I could go back to sleep. As I listened harder, I wrinkled my brow; she was talking to someone. She was trying to keep her voice down, like when she was talking to Uncle Black*Star about something she didn't want me to hear. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but I could tell she was angry.

Curious as to who my mother could be arguing with at this time of night, I swung my legs over the edge of my bed, carefully tiptoed towards the door, and reached for my doorknob. But before I could crack it open, I heard footsteps coming towards me. I yanked back; Mom would beat me senseless if she caught me eavesdropping again. My mom and her conversational partner were closer now; I sat gently on my bed, being able to hear them better.

I caught my mother saying, "...just gonna leave again in the morning!"

The other person, a male, pleaded, "Maka, please, will you just hear me out?"

"No, you hear me out this time! Why can't you stay?!"

"I just can't. You of all people should know that. You never questioned me about things like this before."

"And you only ever come around when Melody's asleep. Don't you think she deserves to know?"

"Maka, you already know I can't tell you these things, and I can't tell you for a reason. You should trust me."

"I do, but…"

"Well then why don't you act like it? You're being really obstinate right now."

I knitted my eyebrows. That voice sounded so familiar. I was still too tired to be able to try and make a connection. It seemed Mom knew him, and for some reason wanted him to stay...but what really irked me was that he almost seemed to be scolding her. Who did this guy think he was?

"If you wanted to leave, then you could have just said so!" Mom cried.

The man growled. "Maka Renée, don't you dare!"

I held back a gasp. That familiarity clicked in my brain, but I almost didn't want to believe it. That man...he called Mom by her middle name. Only one man ever did that; even her own father never called her that...that voice was Daddy's!

"Dare what?" my mom challenged, continuing their argument. "Point out that you're never home? That you just up and left, no note, no explanation, no nothing?"

"Maka, I know you were scared, and I'm sorry-"

"This isn't just about me, Soul! You think I was scared? What about your daughter? Melody was seven! You tell me how I'm supposed to explain to your seven-year-old daughter, who you know _adores _you, that daddy might not ever come home!"

"Maka. I didn't. Want. To leave. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

I heard tears in my mother's quivering voice when she spoke again.

"Then why did you?" she demanded. "For eight years I've sat around, raised your daughter, cleaned the house, waiting for you to come back, or even just call."

"I-"

"For eight years I've waited for you to come home and been overjoyed when you finally did."

"Ma-"

"I would run up and hug you and cry on your shoulder about how much I missed you, even though I knew you were only gonna be here for one night."

"Sweetheart-"

"But not this time, Soul. I want answers."

"Baby, I-"

"Soul, don't pull that sweet talk thing with me! Endearing names and pretty words aren't gonna help this time. Where were you?"

"I told you: I've been around the country."

"Why?"

There was silence. Then the man that I was fairly sure was my father took a deep breath.

"Maka...please, don't freak out and _please _trust me here...but I'm being followed. By someone who would hurt you and Melody to get to me. That's why I can't come home very often, and even when I do, it's risky. But that's all I can tell you without putting you in too much danger."

"Nothing's come at us for the past eight years. Why should we worry now?"

"Because I've been very careful thus far. I'm being careful not to do anything that would attract too much attention to me or, God forbid, my family."

"You couldn't even pick up the phone and call me to let me know you were alive?"

"Call tracing."

My mother softened her voice. "Soul... who is chasing you? I know you; you've never been scared of anything. You've gone against demons and monsters and God only knows what else; what could scare you so badly?"

I gingerly lifted myself off my bed and crept towards the door. Taking a huge risk for the sake of curiosity, I cracked the door just enough to see my parents standing in the living room. I stared wonderingly at my father, with the realization that I hadn't seen him since I was seven. I supposed I had simply gotten used to his absence without realizing it.

I watched him as my ash-blonde mother, who had her back to me, sympathetically stroked his cheek. Daddy's semi-long hair, tucked under its thin, black headband, was stark white, as were my waist-length tresses. He stared at Mom with tired eyes the same ruby red that mine were. He was much taller than my mom, probably about six foot four to my mother's five foot nine. Reflecting on myself, a pale, thin, pretty albino girl that stood about five foot six, I only now grasped the meaning to my mother's "You are so much like your father." Now that I really got to _look _at him, I saw just how much more similar I was to him than I was to my mother.

When I looked back up at my parents, Daddy wasn't looking at Mom anymore; I almost hoped I was mistaken, but I could feel he was looking right at me. Startled, I leapt back into bed, pretending I hadn't been spying. I could still hear my parents speaking through the door, still hanging slightly ajar.

"Losing my family," my dad said. "That's what's scaring me, Maka."

"You're never gonna lose us, Soul," Mom answered. "We'll always be here." I heard her choke on tears with her next phrase: "Just waiting for you to come home…"

She didn't quite finish before she melted into sobs. The sounds tore at my heart. Mom never cried around me. She had always been very tentative on the subject of Daddy, but she had never cried in front of me. Not even when I was seven years old, maybe a couple of months after my dad left, and asked her when Daddy was coming home.

In the midst of my train of thought, the door to my bedroom creaked all the way open. I rolled over and found myself looking into the mischievous smile of my father. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. I grinned.

"Daddy!" I cried, leaping off my bed and throwing my arms around his waist. He smiled and held me close, kissing the top of my head.

"Hey, Mel," he murmured.

"I missed you, Daddy," I said, cuddling into his chest. He sighed.

"I missed you, too."

I looked up into his eyes. He was smiling sadly at me.

"Where have you been, Daddy?" I asked.

"You know that, Mel. You heard everything, I'm sure."

I frowned. Daddy always knew when I was eavesdropping. I sighed. "Daddy…"

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?"

He shook his head and picked me up bridal style, like he used to when I was a kid. He sat down on my bed and held me close to him, petting my head.

"Mel...there's something you need to understand: I left because I had to. And you have no idea how much I just wanna come home and stay, be with you and your mom. I miss you both, and leaving is like getting stabbed in the heart, every time. But I have to do it. It's to keep you both safe." He tilted my face up to look into his. "Melody, I want you to understand something. No matter what, I love you. I love you more than anything. I've loved you since before you were born, and I will love you until the day I die."

"Daddy...is something wrong?"

"No, baby. I just don't want you thinking I don't love you because I'm never home. I'm never home _because _I love you. You understand that, right?"

I nodded. "Daddy...you said something is chasing you. What if you get hurt? Or killed?"

He thought about his answer for a minute. "I would rather die than let my family get hurt."

I hugged him tightly. "You're gonna have to leave again, aren't you?"

He nodded.

"Are you ever going to be able to stay home?" I asked hopefully. He pulled back to look at me again.

"I hope so." He chuckled. "God, you've gotten so big." He shook his head and smiled. "You've really grown a lot since five years ago, huh? You're gonna end up being taller than your mom."

"I know," I giggled. "Mama keeps telling me that."

Daddy stood and laid me down on my side, tugging my blankets up to my chin and tucking them in around me. He knelt by my bed and tucked my hair behind my ear. I looked at him sadly.

"You've gotta leave now, don't you?"

He nodded. "I'm so sorry, baby." Leaning over and kissing my forehead, he added, "I'm gonna miss you. I love you."

"Can you try and come back?"

He hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll try."

"Okay…" I was beginning to feel sleep wash over me again. "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you, too, baby. Sleep tight."

I heard my door click shut, meaning Daddy had left to wherever he had to escape to next.

"Please come home, Daddy…" I murmured before I finally fell asleep.

_But who can decide what they dream? And dream I do..._

* * *

**A/N: Ouch...is "major feels" a FanFiction warning? Or is that just me? Haha. Anyhow, there's something to keep you a little sated while I continue my hunt for my other stories. I hope. So, stay tuned guys, I promise I'll keep updating something, at least!**


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